You might have already updated your software to iOS 7, or to a previous version. So you probably know how to do it, and you don’t need this article at all. Fair enough!
But you can find inside this article some tips about the new software and its compatibility with iDevices.
Also, at some point, you might come across someone who will ask your help to make an upgrade (it happened to me the other week). And if you don’t have the time to explain, or to do the update for them, you can email them this article.
Before you start
Check if your iDevice is compatible with iOS 7 and if there is enough memory on your device
You can’t upgrade to iOS 7 if you have an iPhone 3G/3GS or the 1st generation of iPad. Sorry, but these are the facts, unfortunately, the new software is not compatible with these older devices.
Some iPhone 4 users reported an unaccepted lag on some functions or apps after iOS 7. It doesn’t mean that you can’t update to the new software, you might be lucky. But chances are that your iPhone 4 will become slower.
The memory you have left on your device is something else you need to check. iOS 7 takes 3.1GB to download and after the install has been completed, the update takes around 1GB of storage. If you don’t have enough memory, think about getting rid of some photos, music, files or apps you no longer use.
Back up your data
The next thing to do is to backup the data on your iDevice (assuming you didn’t do this already). It’s not mandatory in order to complete the update. But you will do it if you don’t want all your precious memories and all that important stuff wiped away from your device (in case something goes wrong during the upgrade).
If you don’t have an iCloud account and never did a backup before, read our article on setting up an iCloud account . You can also make a backup in iTunes.
Now you’re ready to upgrade to iOS 7
After you have decided that upgrading to iOS 7 is what you want, and you have checked that the software is compatible with your device, you have two options:
1. Update the device wirelessly
Ideally would be to have the device plugged in to a power source before you start (it might take a while for the update to complete, and running out of battery will interrupt the update). In order to avoid potential data cost, connect the device to a Wi-Fi network.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update. iOS will automatically check for available updates.

Click Download and Install and let it run. After the download is finished, tap Install to update your iOS. When the upgrade is completed your device should restart and then restore all your data from the backup in iCloud.

2. Update your device using iTunes

Make sure that you are using the last version of iTunes.

Connect your device to the computer using an USB cable.

When iTunes opens, select your device and click Check for update.

If an update is available, you’ll be able to click Download and Update.

It’s very important to keep the device connected until the update is completed, the device has restarted and fully synced with iTunes.

Keep in mind! Once you updated to iOS 7 you can’t get back to the old version of iOS you’ve used, so make sure that this is what you want. Good luck with the update!